Chocolate-Banana Cupcakes With Peanut Butter Frosting

For the Cupcakes:
3/4 cup sugar
5 Tbsp. nonhydrogenated vegan margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 banana, mashed well
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup soy milk

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
• Using a hand-held mixer, combine the sugar, margarine, and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the banana, stirring well to combine.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Alternating with the soy milk, add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture a little bit at a time, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing after each addition.
• Spoon into the paper liners. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back easily when touched lightly in the center.
• Allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the Peanut Butter Frosting:
1 1/4 cups chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
Dash of pure vanilla extract

• Using a hand-held mixer, combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
• Spread onto the cooled cupcakes.

Makes approximately 1 dozen